Name That Mood. I mean, what mood do you want your business clientele to leave your office or business with? Do you want repeat business, most would say yes. If you want them to feel excited like they just purchased a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, then you have to give them that feeling. I don’t mean give them the car. I mean give them that excited type of feeling when they leave your business or the best feeling you deem necessary for a repeat client. A professional can only do so much, the other is up to the image you leave in the clients’ mind. By image, I mean the appearance of your building, your office, or your factory. A lot has to do with appearance in business. Example: Are you more likely to shop at an outdated store or a new store. Kmart is an excellent example of how not to run your business. They have not had a face lift in over 25 years, everyone else keeps updating and changing.

Think about the perception of the client and the experience that you give them. The nicer the facility, usually the more people feel comfortable and the more they are willing to pay more for items just because of the experience. Look at Bass Pro Shops, they are all about the experience, decorations galore, yet you will not leave out of there without spending the full MSRP for the items. I usually leave happy after a purchase, my wife not necessarily.

Think outside the box, a dental, medical, or other type of office, try modern ceiling designs or wall designs. Architect’s are ideal for this updated creativity. An easy detail that attracts clients, adding an aquarium, saltwater aquariums are ideal, but expensive. They are unique, they give clients a “cool, you don’t normally see that kind of thing” experience. I have noticed small businesses must address the “Image Look“ or they will be run over by competitors. Our construction company is no different. If you don’t stay current, you become irrelevant, unfortunately. As a business you must keep changing/adapting, sometimes that means changing your building. If you are needing a building change, then give us a call @ 417-887-7134 ask for Randy. We can help, I try to keep us socially updated, my dad, not so much. However, he is a pro at helping clients cut unnecessary costs on projects. He is definitely a creative thinker, which helps out in dealing with architects and creative designs.

There are those that say image is not that important, they’re wrong, image is everything. Would you rather go into an older looking shopping center, mall, office, etc. or a new building? More people than not, would rather go into a newer & more modern place to do business. One might think just because it’s new doesn’t mean it is already better. It has to fit in with the times, usually it means brighter lighting, unique modern exterior look, a cleaner look inside & not jammed pack with merchandise. Architects can go more into detail of what is current & stylish today. My main focus is pointing outwhat could you do to improve your sales from a building standpoint.

Like I said before, just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s better.It needs to fit with your business, how do you want to be viewed towards your future or current clients? A law office most likely won’t have the same style of building as say a Cox Health Clinic. As goes with a Keller Williams office building won’t look like a telemarketers’. Try to step back & look at how your business might look to people. Do you see where you can improve? Most people do not even think that the building or office they work in has an effect on their clients or customers, but it does.

There is the cost to improve your office or building’s image. It might require you to look at building a new building or remodeling your current one. Look at it this way, do you have enough business that you do not need new clientele?What is the potential for new clients or customers with a remodeled office or new building?Building new can be more expensive than just remodeling a current building or office. Then again it can go the other way as well, it just depends on what you want to do. Either way you can make energy efficiency improvements to save on overhead.

Nowadays everyone has to stay current or you fall behind the competition in each & every business. The building in which you do business is no different. Does the Fazolis down the road look more inviting than your italian restaurant. Is a newer or updated Holiday Inn across town, more traveler friendly than your hotel & so on. If you do decide you need to update or build a new building, give Friga Construction a call @417-887-7134or check us out @ www.frigainc.com. Talk to Randy, if you don’t know how to proceed, he will work with you to get you through the process. We are a local family owned business that has been in business for over 40 years. Our excellent reputation is one of the reasons we are the Springfield’s Best Commercial Contractor. Always remember @ Friga Construction “your visions become reality.”

Have you wondered if your deck is up to spec? Does it meet the current building codes? If it is 7 to 10 years old then probably not. We have had several clients who had scary decks before we took them down and built new ones. Some of the decks couldn’t hold more than two or so people at one time. Some shook when you would walk on them. Some had to have temporary bracing so it didn’t collapse. If you have a deck and that sounds similar, then you could potentially have problems.

Most people don’t even give it a second thought of their deck collapsing. People need to look at the warning signs such as those mentioned above. Even if your deck seems to be fine, but is older, you must check certain things on them to make sure you’re not setting yourself up for a lawsuit later in life with friends. Let me give you a checklist of sorts to go by to check out your deck to avoid problems.

The Checklist:

Check the first row of deck boards closest to the home. If they have rot, that is not a good sign. Right below that board is the ledger and it should have flashing.

Check the ledger board, Check for rot, check for minimum 1/2in lag bolts every 12 to 16 inches. If you do have rot or just nails holding the ledger on, the ledger is vulnerable to failing.

Check the posts, do they have rot on the bottom, are they fastened to the ground or concrete.

Check the stairs make sure no rot is found.

The deck boards should be free of rot or curling. You don’t want a trip hazard or fall through the deck.

Check to see if the deck is warping, such as sagging in the middle.

Check hand rails and pickets to ensure rigidity so no one falls off the deck leaning on it.

As a rule of measure I will give you some of the major points on the decks we build today:

1. 6×6 posts for support with no more than 8 ft. spacing.

2. Minimum 2×10 joists for smaller spans, also they have to have joist hangers.

3. The spacing on the joists are 16 inches max.

4. The stairs usually have 4 stringers and are made out of a 2×12, (they hold the stair treads)Maximum 7 inches tall.

5. The ledger has flashing behind it and the ledger lag bolts are 1/2in spaced in between each joists in a certain pattern.

6. Then posts are on a post base fastened to a concrete pier and notched to the deck band boards.

7. The hand rail varies, but cabling or picket spacing can not be more than 4 inches in between.

After learning of a local homeowner that had a deck collapse from KY3 news in Springfield, MO. This needs to be known to all homeowners with decks. The Home Builders Association has names of local professionals that can evaluate your deck if you are concerned. If your deck sounds similar to what is currently built, then you should have nothing to worry about. If you do have a deck that is a problem or need to change the way it looks, then give us a call @ 417-887-7134 to set up an appointment. We are Friga Construction Co., Inc.“where you’re visions become reality.”

Are you in a race to find space? Are you constantly buying things and don’t know where to put them, then here is a blog for you. Many people buy things and they buy it thinking they’ll use it, need it, or just like the way it looks. You might think you have to spend a lot to create some space, but there are other ideas that make space from unused space. You can go on pinterest and find many ideas, you might find one the can work for you. Of course, we like the other way of creating space by remodeling, business or home additions, or simply building a new bigger building.The ideas can be quite clever, such as the dog house or room under the staircase. A great idea that incorporates unused and usually wasted space. It’s also not that expensive to do. Creating cabinets out of the stairs is also a neat idea, however, it would be a little more expensive. There are many ideas of utilizing wasted space under staircases. The next area to save some space is the bathroom, yes that’s right, you’re bathroom. The different ideas range from organizers in existing cabinets all the way to building a hidden closet drawer behind your tub. To save space in the kitchen you can turn cabinets into a pantry system, instead of have to build a new pantry. The garage usually has space above your car. You can use tote bins, label them and hold everything from Christmas decorations to sports equipment. Hopefully this gives you some incite into finding creative ways to free up some space that would otherwise have went wasted. However, if you need that other method such as adding on space give us a call we can help you out, just check out our website @frigainc.com and give us a call.

Should I build new or just renew an existing building or home? That is a question that comes up a lot in business owners’ and homeowners’ minds. By renew, we mean remodeling an existing building or home. Remodeling might entail an addition for more space or just an update or face lift. This blog will go over the pluses and minuses of building new versus remodeling. Building new has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of building a new building like an O’Reilly’s, Comfort Inn, etc. are; a new appearance, usually less maintenance, can be a better location, more efficient, and most people enjoy shopping or staying in a newer building. Which could mean more revenue for your business. The Disadvantages of a new building versus a remodeled building are; can be more expensive, higher costs do not guarantee a more profitable return. The hassle of dealing with a city or county on zoning issues, stormwater drainage, and impact fees. If you know you want to build new and just need a property to look at, Murney & Associates or Plaza Realty can be a place to look.

The advantages of a remodeled or addition on to an existing building are; usually cheaper than building new. If you have a existing business running in that location, you can usually keep it open when the building is getting remodeled. You usually do not have to get the city or county zoning involved, just the plan reviewers and inspectors. The Disadvantages of remodeling are; Sometimes a city or county makes you upgrade the electrical, plumbing, or hvac to current codes.

Building a new home has a lot of advantages. You can live where you want, build what you want. Make it more efficient from the start. Include new technologies in the structure, storm room, alarm system, vacuum system, and home automation. Everything will be new and updated. There is of course a down side to new as well. You have to buy the lot and it’s harder for financing. Everything will have to meet current codes. Remodeling is what a lot of homeowners choose to do, it’s advantages are; live in the same home where you are familiar with neighbors and the neighborhood. Make your home how you want it. Cheaper than building new, depending on what is being upgraded. On the flipside, remodeling a home has its disadvantages. You live in your home while its being remodeled. Inconvenience of not being able to use the certain areas being remodeled. It can cost more than you think, you would never believe how some homes were built years ago.

It all boils down to the individual and what he or she wants and can afford. At Friga Construction Co., we build what our clients want. If you want to remodel your home or business, we will try to make it less inconvenient as possible & give the clients ideas to make your dream a reality & the Meeks Design Center helps. If you want to build new, we can direct you to an architect and work with you through the whole process. Remember we are “where your visions become reality.” Give us a call today.